This invention relates to a device for scaring birds and particularly relates to a device for scaring birds utilizing one or more silhouettes of a bird of prey. Furthermore this invention relates to a method of scaring birds including apparatus relating to same.
The presence of birds in certain locations has in certain circumstances created a hazard or presented an unwanted creature that can impart economic damage.
For example the presence of birds on or near the vicinity of airports and airbases has for many years presented a danger to aircraft. To reduce the hazard of bird strikes on aircraft there have been many devices and methods utilized in order to scare birds away from the vicinity of aircraft. One such method includes the use of live birds of prey, which scare unwanted birds away from aircraft.
Another example of where birds are unwanted are in agricultural fields such as vineyards or the like where the birds peck away at the fruit and plants and create economic damage.
By way of another example it is not uncommon for high buildings such as skyscrapers or the like particularly ones which are predominantly made of glass to present an obstacle for birds flying into such buildings many of whom die and collect at the bottom of said buildings.
Accordingly there have been a variety of apparatus, devices and methods within which to scare birds.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,376 illustrates a bird scare comprised of a sheet of aluminium suspended by a swivel and having both twist and turn edges to enable sensitive response to rotation in very light rising air as well as rotation on gentle convectional wind and high wind conditions. The sheet material includes domes impressed throughout the material to increase reflective dissipation effect.
Another device is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,183 which relates to an article which comprises a resilient base member and two sections of wire mesh that are joined together where the wire sections interlock with one another along a line running above the centre line of the base member. The base of the article may be bent or otherwise deformed around another structure in order to set up the bird repeller. The base member may be imprinted with the indicia of a bird such as an owl, in order to further deter the roosting of birds.
Furthermore U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,338 illustrates a bird deterrent method and device while U.S. Pat. No. 5,682,702 illustrates a collapsible bird decoy having a planar body panel, shaped like the side silhouette of a bird, and a top panel shaped like a top silhouette of a bird. The body panel and the back panel are adapted to interfit in mutually perpendicular lines to form a body which resembles a birds body when viewed from the sides or above. The wing panel extends generally outwardly from each side of the body formed by interfitting the body panel and back panel. The wing panels are preferably pivotally mounted to the body panel to pivot between a storage position in which the wings extend along the axis of the body panel, and the use position in which the wings stand vertically upwardly and can flex downwardly and outwardly from the body.
Furthermore U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,047B1 illustrates a bird deterring device while U.S. Pat. No. 3,292,319 illustrates a seagull deterrent means which comprises a self-propelled device having a rotatable hub bearing member defining a central axial passageway open at one end and adapted to be freely suspended by means of a shaft positioned within said passageway, a plurality of elongated arm members pivotally mounted and radially disposed on said hub bearing member, said arm member extending traversally from said hub bearing member and having adjacent the end of said arm members concavo-convex shaped members with concave surfaces facing in opposite directions to effect movement of the deterrent means in a horizontal plane.
Moreover U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,079 teaches a device for scaring pests, such as birds from the area to be protected by utilizing an elongated vertically extending post, a resilient wire mounted on and extending from the upper end of the post, and a pair of large thin lightweight highly light reflective discs rotatably suspended from the remote end of the wire in cantilever fashion and responsive to wind forces on the discs in order to provide a random, distracting motion as well as to cast darting light reflections in a random, erratic manner on the area surrounding the post.
Furthermore U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,880 shows an apparatus for flying a flying body imitating a raptor such as a hawk and an eagle to scare birds such as doves and crows to inhibit the birds from approaching.
Furthermore U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,660 teaches a bird scaring device while Canadian Patent No. 1,228,480 teaches a bird scarer.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved bird-scaring device, which is easy to assemble and use
It is an aspect of this invention to provide a device for scaring birds comprising a silhouette of a bird of prey having at least one hole there through; a first line having one end rotatably attached to said hole.
It is another aspect of this invention to provide a device for scaring birds comprising a thin vinyl sheet profiling a bird of prey, said sheet including two holes there through; first and second grommets for reinforcing said first and second holes; a first swivel connected to said first grommet; a second swivel connected to said second grommet; a first line having an end connected to said first swivel for rotatable movement thereabouts; a second line having an end connected to said second swivel for rotatable movement thereabouts; a safety line having one end connected to said first swivel and another end connected to said second swivel.
It is another aspect of this invention to provide a method of scaring birds comprising the steps of securing the silhouette of a bird of prey in position by connecting a first swivel to a first hole in said silhouette, connecting a first end of a first line to said first swivel, connecting a second swivel to a second hole in said silhouette, connecting a first end of a second line to said second swivel; reinforcing said silhouette from breakage by connecting one end of a safety line to said first swivel and another end of said safety line to said second swivel; moving said silhouette by wind so as to scare said birds.